Turisas

This highly entertaining Finnish combo seems to have come out
of nowhere with their 2004 debut, the aptly-titled Battle Metal,
though in reality they formed back in 1997, honing their craft
via the usual route of demos and promos before Century Media
wisely snapped them up.
Battle Metal combines the bombast of
Bal-Sagoth
(check out "Among Ancestors" and BNR favorite "As Torches Rise"),
the fun folk of
Finntroll
and the rousing Viking sensibilities of, say,
Thyrfing,
creating a sound that is both a sum of influences and yet
unmistakeably their own style.
This is energetic, anthemic, and simply a joy to listen to.